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DT II

Chapter 6

Songs & performance

Arrange patterns into songs and play the machine live.

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In this chapter · 2
  1. 6.1Song mode
  2. 6.2Perform kit mode
6.1IntermediateManual §10.9 p.50, §10.9.1 p.50, §10.9.2 p.51, §10.9.3 p.51, §17 p.90

Song mode

Song mode turns patterns into a finished arrangement. Each row of a song plays one pattern with its own repeat count, length, tempo and mutes — so you can play the intro pattern twice, the main groove eight times with the bass muted, then the full version. A song holds up to 99 rows, and each project stores up to 16 songs.

Create a song

  1. Press SONG, then one of TRIG 1–16 to choose a song slot and enter SONG mode.
  2. Press FUNC + SONG to open the SONG EDIT screen.
  3. In an empty slot, choose INSERT ROW and press FUNC + DOWN to add the first row — or choose CREATE ROWS FROM CHAIN (below).
  4. Press FUNC + DOWN to add more rows. Each new row appears below the selected one as a copy of it.
  5. Move around with the ARROW keys and change the highlighted value with LEVEL/DATA or any DATA ENTRY knob.
  6. To name the song, go to SETTINGS > SONG > RENAME.
  7. Press NO or FUNC + SONG to close the SONG EDIT screen.

Start from a chain

  1. On an empty song slot, select CREATE ROWS FROM CHAIN and press YES.
  2. Use the chain you already made, or build a new one by pressing TRIG 1–16 keys, changing bank with LEFT/RIGHT.
  3. Press YES to create the rows and open the SONG EDIT screen.

The SONG EDIT screen

SONG ROW
The row number, 01–99.
LABEL
A keyword for the row’s role in the song, such as Verse, Chorus or Fill — or the name of the pattern.
PTN
The pattern the row plays. Hold FUNC while turning the knob to change bank quickly.
ROW PLAY COUNT
How many times the row plays before the song moves to the next row.
ROW LENGTH
How many steps of the pattern the row plays, from 2 to 1024; the last 25 values show as K00–K24. Defaults to the pattern’s length.
ROW TEMPO
The row’s BPM. By default a row takes the BPM and swing of its pattern. Press TEMPO, or YES on the BPM value, to open the TEMPO menu for the row’s pattern, where you can also set swing. Choosing song tempo on any row overrides every row and pattern tempo; swing is always set per row.
SONG POINTER
Shows the playhead’s current time and position in the arrangement.
ROW MUTE
Mutes tracks of the row’s pattern. Highlight it, press YES, then use the TRIG keys to mute and unmute. Rows with muted tracks show a mute icon. When you pick a pattern for a row, the row starts with that pattern’s mute state.
END
The last row, always present. It decides what happens after the final row: LOOP (the default) plays the song again from the start, STOP ends it.
Selected row
Shown between dotted lines. Use UP and DOWN to select a row.
PLAYHEAD
Marks the row that’s playing, or that will play next if the sequencer is stopped.
SONG SLOT and SONG NAME
Which of the 16 songs you’re editing, and its name.

SONG EDIT screen

SONG, then TRIG 1–16
Selects a song and enters SONG mode.
FUNC + SONG
Opens or closes the SONG EDIT screen.
ARROW
Moves between rows and columns.SONG EDIT screen
UP/DOWN
Selects a row.SONG EDIT screen
FUNC + DOWN
Inserts a copy of the selected row below it.SONG EDIT screen
FUNC + UP
Deletes the selected row.SONG EDIT screen
FUNC + RECORD
Copies the selected row.SONG EDIT screen
FUNC + STOP
Pastes the copied row onto the selected row.SONG EDIT screen
FUNC + PLAY
Resets the selected row to its pattern’s default BPM, length and mute state.SONG EDIT screen
Hold FUNC + turn the knob
Changes bank quickly while choosing the row’s pattern.SONG EDIT screen, PTN column
YES
Moves the playhead to the selected row.SONG EDIT screen, row number highlighted
YES
Opens mute editing; then use the TRIG keys to mute and unmute tracks.SONG EDIT screen, ROW MUTE highlighted
YES
Opens the TEMPO menu for the row’s pattern.SONG EDIT screen, BPM highlighted
TEMPO
Opens the TEMPO menu for the selected row’s pattern.SONG EDIT screen
TRIG 1–16
Previews the track presets of the pattern on the playhead row.SONG EDIT screen
NO
Closes the SONG EDIT screen.SONG EDIT screen

Play a song

  1. Press SONG, then a TRIG 1–16 key to choose the song and enter SONG mode. The song last played or edited is the one selected.
  2. Press PLAY. The top of the screen shows the song number, the current row, the total number of rows, the row’s LABEL and its pattern’s bank and number — and fills up like a progress bar as the row plays.
  3. Press STOP to stop. PLAY then carries on from the playhead; press STOP twice to send the playhead back to the start.
  4. To leave SONG mode, select a pattern with PTN + TRIG 1–16.

Playing a song

PLAY
Plays the song from the playhead.SONG mode
STOP
Stops the song.SONG mode
STOP twice
Moves the playhead to the start of the song.SONG mode
SONG + LEFT
Loops the row that’s playing; press again to return to normal song playback.SONG mode
SONG + UP/DOWN
Chooses a row to jump to and play next.SONG mode
SONG twice
Opens the SONG EDIT screen.SONG mode
PTN + TRIG 1–16
Selects a pattern and leaves SONG mode.SONG mode
6.2IntermediateManual §10.10 p.52, §10.10.1 p.52

Perform kit mode

In PERFORM KIT mode, changes to preset parameters aren’t saved automatically, and changing pattern doesn’t load the new pattern’s kit — you keep playing the current, tweaked kit. A filter you opened during a breakdown stays open as you move on to the next pattern, so the performance evolves smoothly instead of snapping back, and nothing gets saved by accident.

Press FUNC + PRESET/KIT to turn it on or off. While it’s on, a flashing P appears next to the pattern name and PRESET/KIT lights orange.

Key combinations

FUNC + PRESET/KIT
Turns PERFORM KIT mode on or off.
PRESET/KIT + NO
Instantly reloads the current pattern’s kit.PERFORM KIT mode
PRESET/KIT + YES
Saves the current pattern’s modified kit through the SAVE (KIT) menu.PERFORM KIT mode

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